Apparatus for producing molded records and blanks.



No. 785,319. I Y PATENTED MAR. 21, 190 w. H. MILLER & A. N. PIERMAN. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOLDED ,nsooans AND BLANKS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1 904.

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Witnesses: Inventors v. WALTER H.MILL ER No. 785,319. 7 I PATENTED MAIL 21,1905. W. H. MILLER &-A. N. PIER MAN.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOLDED RECORDS AND BLANKS.

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Attorney if UNITED STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

- FFIC WALTER H. MILLER, oE ORANGE, iiiib-ALExANDER-IN, HERMAN, OF

" NEWARK, NEWIJERSEY, ASSIGNORS o NEW JERSEY PATENT co PANY, OF ORANGE, NEW JERsEY, A OORPORAIIQN'QF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUSFOR PRODUCING MOLDED RECORDS ANQDBVLANKSQ.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 78 5,31Q, dated March 2'1, i905.

Application filed: May 24, 1904. $erial-IIO. 209,570.

To wZZ whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, VV ALTER H. -MILLER,a resident of Orange, and ALEXANDER N. PIER- MAN, a resident of Newark, county of Essex, 5 State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful injury to the record groove which has been formedthereon by the surface of the mold. Thepresent application relates to apparatus whereby the above process may be performed more readily, with greater economy, and with less danger ofinjury to the records or blanks Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Molded Records and Blanks, of which the following isa specification.

I Our invention relates to apparatus for the production of molded phonograph records and blanks, and has for its object the provision of means whereby the records and blanks may be produced cheaply and removed from their molds in the least possible time and with the least possible chance of injury thereto as re"- gards the surfaces of the said records and blanks.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus which forms the subject-matter of the application. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, on an enlarged scale, ofcertain parts shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an 5 enlarged vertical section of certain other parts shown in Fig.1. 3 I i I K We have indicated corresponding parts in the several views bymeans of the same reference-numerals. Y I

In producing molded phonograph records and blanks we have found it desirable to use molds composed of a hollow core anda cylindrical matrix surrounding the same and supported thereby. This mold is introduced into a suitable bath of moltenmaterial from which therecord or blank is to be formed and is then removed therefrom and allowed to cool. It is desirable, in order that the records and blanks may be removed from the mold without in- 4 jury to their surfaces, that the mold be chilled or cooled by the application oflso'me cooling medium, such as water, to the exterior surface of the mold and the interiorof the core. I This causes the record or blank to contract,

so that the core may be removed therefrom, and upon further cooling the contraction is sufficient to enable the record tobe-withdrawn longitudinally from the mold without the least to us. v Our apparatus comprises a cooling device consisting of a cylindrical water jacket or tank 1, connected with a suitable water-supply by means'of a pipe 2, having, a valve 3 and provided on its interior surface with. numerous small apertures through whichjets of water 4: may be discharged against the exterior surface'of the mold 5. The said cooling device also comprises a vertical .pipe .6, supplied with water from a pipe'7, controlled by a valve 8. The top of the pipe 6 is provided with any suitable means 9 which permit the discharge of the Water against the interior of thecore l0 in-the form of a spray .or jets 11. The'mold '5 is supportedby a lateral extension from'the core 10, as shown. The exterior of the core is provided with a helical groove 10 for producing a helical rib on the. interior of the record 'or' blank. The coreis provided with an upwardly-extending rod 12, whose upper end carries a ring 13. Sleevedupon the rod 12 is a cap 14 for inclosing' and centering the upper portion of the mold 5.

In the use of a cooling device such as has been described it-is desirable that the heated mold be subjected to the cooling action thereof for a definite time, which should not be too great nor yet too small.. We therefore provide a timing device by which the time during which the mold is placed in thecooling device may be indicated. This device, as shown, consists of a base 15, onv which is mounted a vertical rack 16, having a slot 17, in which stops 18 and 19 are placed to, limit the-extreme positions of the said rack. The rack is normally held in its extreme upperp'osition by means of a spring 20, secured at one end to the base 15. and at the otherendto the rack 16. The lowerflendiofr'the rack-isbent to form a hook for receiving the ring 13, carthan by any other means heretofore known ried by the rod 12, whereby the rod, core, and mold may be suspended from the rack 16.

The weight of these parts draws the rack 16 downward against the action of the spring 20 until stopped by the pin 18. This movement is made slow and regular by means of a dashpot 21, secured to the base 15 and having a piston whose rod 22 is connected to the rack 16, as shown. The time-indicator consists of a glass 23, containing sufficient sand or other material to indicate the exact number of minutes or seconds during which it is desired to have the mold and core acted upon by the cooling device. This timing-glass is capable of oscillation about a horizontal axis, being secured to a pinion 24, which meshes with the teeth of the rack 16, the arrangement being such that the vertical movement of the rack causes the pinion to oscillate through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees. Thus when the mold is hung from the rack 16 the same is lowered and at the same time the glass 23 is oscillated through an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees and the sand immediately begins to descend into the empty compartment. As soon as the upper compartment is emptied the operator lifts the mold, removing the ring 13 from the rack 16, and the rack is drawn to its upper position by the spring 20. The timing-glass 23 is thus returned to its original position and the sand descends to the other compartment, thereby providing for a repetition of the operation upon another mold. The operator then unscrews the rod 12 from the core 10 and places the latter upon the mandrel 25. This mandrel is provided with one or more pins 26, which engage slots or recesses in the lower portion of the core. The mandrel and core are then rotated by means of the shaft 27 and hand-wheel 28, while the mold is held against turning by the operator, with the result that the core is unscrewed from the record or blank contained in the mold. The mold containing the said record or blank is then passed along for further treatment. This treatment consists in placing the mold within a water-jacket 29 until the record or blank is shrunk sulficiently to be removed longitudinally from the mold without injury to the surface thereof. The water-jacket 29 is supplied with a cooling medium from the supply -pipe 30 and leaves the same through an outlet-pipe 81. The outlet 31 is connected to the pipes 2 and 7 for supplying the cooling device 1. Thus the cooling medium is used when at its lowest temperatu re in the water-jacket 29 for cooling the partly-cooled mold and then passes to the cooling device 1 for treating the hot molds. By this means weuse the water or other cooling medium in the most efficient manner and are able to reduce the quantity required.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the. exact structures illustrated.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable support, a mold suspended therefrom, and means acting in opposition to the weight of said mold to move the support, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, amovable support, a mold suspended therefrom, a stop for limiting the movement of said support, and means acting in opposition to the weight of said mold to move the support, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable support, a mold suspended therefrom, stops for limiting the movement of said support in each direction and means acting in opposition to the weight of said mold to move the support, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable support, a mold suspended therefrom, a dash-pot connected to said support, and means acting in opposition to the weightof said mold to move the support, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-supply, a cylindrical waterjacket connected therewith for receiving a mold, a pipe leading from said water-jacket to a second water-jacket, having openings in its interior surfaces which permit the discharge of the water, substantially as set forth.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a water-supply, a cylindrical waterjacket connected therewith, a pipe leading from said water-jacket to a second cooling device having one or more openings which permit the discharge of the water, substantially as set forth.

7 In an apparatus of the character described, a water-supply, a cylindrical waterjacket connected therewith, pipes leading from said water-jacket to a second cooling device, having an inner, rod-like member situated within an outer surrounding member, both' members having openings which permit the discharge of the water.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a mold having a hollow cylindrical core, provided with a helical groove on its exterior surface, a mandrel inserted within said core, and having means for engaging said core, and means for rotating said mandrel whereby the core may be unscrewed from the blank or record contained in the mold, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of May, 1904.

WALTER H. MILLER. ALEXANDER N. PIERMAN.

Witnesses:

MINA G. MACARTHUR, FRANK L. DYER. 

